THE PROBLEM OF PAIN: PART 1

Torman Maxt has accomplished something that most bands 'try' to; first of all they put the rocking out factor at the forefront of their musical prowess while in-turn, keeping a large scope of a technical edge to their music - meanwhile presenting this elaborate, yet dark concept, not losing sight of the melodic texturing that always fades within the context of such cinematic themes albums; they do all of this the 'right' way.

Like mid-period Uriah Heep (minus the all-out Hammond/synths) and a less stoner minded Budgie, not to mention a huge Rush influence, this power trio brings classic 70's-esque hard rock with a modern production edge to the table; add this multi-faceted 'rock opera' in the mix and the stance for the Torman Maxt unique sound is there. The songs are centered around characters, Job, Satan, & the Angel; and the atmosphere of the songs pertain the personalities of the characters, whereas, Satan's tracks are usually heavy and somewhat chaotic, Job's play out with diversity with heaviness and acoustic/eased back passages, and the Angel's two tracks ethereal and somewhat dreamy sounding, following the same melody. "Overture" & "A Great Silence" are obvious operatic numbers that do the job opening and closing this album.

Very much filled with depth, The Problem with Pain: Part 1 fixates itself not only on the musical complexity, but also the profound concept itself, which is highly sophisticated in it's own right, based on the workings of C.S. Lewis. Torman Maxt offers a breath of fresh air in the world of conceptual and theoretical minded ear candy. -Tommy Hash (www.ytsejam.com)